Aries: Your year ahead in life, love, money and health

As an Aries, some of your greatest traits, your willingness to take chances and your courage, are signified by your ruling planet, Mars. This willingness to explore new ideas and new places is wonderful. However, during the year 2018, you’ll find that sometimes even you are hesitant about going into new territory, venturing into new, and necessary, settings. This isn’t because there’s anything wrong, as much as it may be very new to you, so worrying or, alternatively, it may involve something that you’ve dealt with before and found dull, not worthwhile, or just plain uninteresting.

However, this variety of exploration is really the theme for the year for you, and in all sorts of ways. With Uranus, which is the planet of innovation and the unexpected, having been positioned in your sign since 2010, you’ve been used to a wide range of unexpected developments – and, in truth, you thrive on them. However, with Uranus itself moving several times during the year of 2018, and moving out of your sign, then making a temporary return, then departing on in March of 2019 for good, to accent practical and financial matters, you’ll find that you’re facing the kind of uncertainty that isn’t so much worrying as it is irritating for you as an Aries, and someone who thinks quickly, and who’s superb at making swift decisions. So for much of 2018, you’ll be juggling your own personal interests, but also practical or financial matters. You’ll also be dealing with shifts in circumstances involved. This, then means you’ll have to do something which is out of character and ensure that those decisions are flexible enough that you can rethink them.

This isn’t all that’s going on in the heavens. Also, with Saturn, which is a planet of focus, just having moved into the crucial mid-heaven angle of your chart, which has to do with the structure of your life, in late December 2017, and remaining there until 2020, you’ll find that here, too, you need to rethink what you’re doing and your priorities. Because Saturn is one of the most practical planets of them all, many of those thoughts will have to do with what works and what doesn’t. However, again, it’s important to remember that with Uranus itself shifting into a new position, but moving back and forth, and so triggering exploration, this won’t be about a single decision, but first about making the decision to explore – and possibly venture into new and unfamiliar territory.

The third important point for you to recognise during 2018 is that your own ruling planet, the forthright Mars, will itself be shifting between two positions for much of the year. Normally, Mars spends about two months in a single sign and then moves on to the next, making its way through all 12 signs during a period of two years. However, during 2018, on March 17 it will move into Capricorn, joining Saturn there, and during its time there, until May 16, you’ll be reviewing the structure of your life and who and what is in your best interests.

Then, from May 16 until August 13, it will be accenting those individuals with whom you’ll be pursuing those activities, and will be in the inquisitive and restless sign of Aquarius.

Normally, it would move on, but during this particular year, with Mars returning to the down-to-earth Capricorn from August 13 until September 11, you’ll go back to thinking about making plans, reviewing your options, and then you’ll also review those plans. That may be exasperating for you, as an Aries who prefers to get on with things and get things done swiftly. But the fact is that with these changes influencing everybody else, this is no time to stick with a single plan. Rather, if there’s any year you’ll want to explore every option, including those that appear suddenly, it’s 2018.

Also, you’re unlikely to be sure what you want to do until 2019 – simply because with your ruler Mars actually moving into Aries on January 1 of that year, you’ll have clarity and will be ready to pursue what you decide to do – something you’re unlikely to have thought of as you’re living out the days of 2018. During this period, you’re urged to be on the lookout for, be willing to explore anything new, foreign, or even seemingly weird – this is where the excitement will be. While you, as an Aries, are by no means narrow-minded, there’s some things that may just seem too strange to explore. Bizarrely, those seemingly strange ideas could work out brilliantly during 2018 and beyond.

Love and relationships

Being a resilient fire sign, you won’t mind how life’s ups and downs influence both family and friendships, but others will. Some could even be upset. Knowing that, make a special effort to show how much you care.

Finance and business

Once you understand that change isn’t just natural, but that you can profit from even very unexpected developments, rather than battle what arises, you’ll explore your options. Still, when investing, it’s wise to be cautious. During 2018 explore your options, then during 2019, you’ll be well informed.

Health and wellbeing

When life’s busy, it’s easy to skip meals, eat unwisely or miss out on opportunities to get out and exercise. But this is when these are most important. Here’s a hint. Make a regular date to meet a pal for a fitness day. That will keep you healthy and happy.